The present invention relates to graphical display of trends in data, particularly for capacity management, and more particularly to a method and system for displaying data for a plurality of systems without unduly cluttering a user interface.
A user often wishes to view trends in data versus a particular parameter, such as time. Typically, a user views trends by plotting the data versus the parameter. The data is typically the ordinate on the graph, while the parameter is typically the abscissa. Often, a user is also interested in comparing trends between systems. In order to compare systems, data for each system is often plotted versus the parameter. The points representing a particular system are often represented by a unique symbol and connected in order to indicate set off data for that system.
For example, capacity management is of increasing interest for a network containing a plurality of systems. Capacity management refers to the monitoring of the network in order to ensure that the network can function. The network may contain servers, computer systems for individual users of the network, mainframes, printers, or other systems. Depending on the size of the network, the network could be made up of only a few systems or thousands of systems. A user known as a network administrator is typically responsible for ensuring that individual portions of the network function and that the network as a whole functions.
In order to ensure that the network functions, the network administrator keeps-track of monitors for each system. A monitor is an attribute of a particular system. For example, a monitor for a particular system could be central processing unit (xe2x80x9cCPUxe2x80x9d) utilization, disk space available, disk work load, the number of bytes sent by the system, and the number of bytes received by the system.
Applications allow a user such as a system administrator to query the systems within the network and receive information relating to each system""s monitors. Once the data relating to the monitors are received, a network administrator typically displays the data on a display for the network administrator""s system.
The network administrator is often interested in determining how each system within the network and how the network as a whole functions over time. In particular, the network administrator typically desires information regarding short-term and long-term trends in performance, the identity of servers performing well or performing poorly, and a comparison of the performance of different systems. In order to determine trends in the network""s behavior, the system administrator may generate plots of one monitor for a system versus time to be shown on the system administrator""s display. In order to compare how systems in the network are functioning, the network administrator may plot a monitor for many systems in the network versus time.
Although plotting a monitor for systems in the network graphically displays information to the network administrator, it may be difficult to extract useful information from such a graph. Where the number of systems is large, the graph becomes cluttered. Even where different symbols are used to plot the monitor for different systems, it may be difficult for the network administrator to determine trends for individual systems or the network as a whole. It is also difficult to determine which system, if any, has exceeded established operating parameters for the network. Therefore, it may be difficult for the network administrator to determine which systems are performing well or performing poorly.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for graphically displaying data for a plurality of systems without unduly cluttering the display. The present invention addresses such a need.
The present invention provides a method and system for graphically displaying data from a plurality of selected data sets on a computer system including a display. Each selected data set has a plurality of values corresponding to a plurality of parameter values. The method and system comprise determining a plurality of average values for a plurality of intervals. The plurality of average values are determined for each selected data set. Each of the plurality of average values is determined from a portion of the plurality of values. The portion of the plurality of values correspond to an interval of the plurality of intervals. Each of the plurality of intervals includes a portion of the plurality of parameter values. The method and system further comprise plotting the average value for each of the plurality of intervals on the display for each selected data set. The average value is depicted as a first symbol.
According to the system and method disclosed herein, the present invention allows a user to more easily extract information from the display, thereby increasing overall system performance.